Thursday, May 10

After Which, the Inspired Crowd Marched on the Administration Building, Demanding MTSU Change Its Name to "Sanjaya Malakar State"

MURFREESBORO— Elizabeth Coker stood in front of the crowd of 100 and said her ancestors had served with Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest [namesake of Forrest Hall at Middle Tennessee State University--ed] in battle and he was a hero to her.

"We have a right to have our heroes, just as you have a right to have Martin Luther King," said Coker, who is white. "You can't say that your heroes are any more important than my heroes."

By the way, a note of thanks to the Tennessean for clearing up any possible questions about Coker's race, since, y'know, a lot of blacks rode with Forrest, too. You can look it up. In the history books of many fine private institutions of secondary education.